Top Brass Purged in China's Military Amidst Unprecedented Power Struggle

Beijing. The high ranks of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been decimated. Serious questions have arisen about the ongoing power struggle within the country following the removal of China's top general Zhang Youxia and another senior military official, General Liu Zhenli, over the weekend.

This has also fueled concerns about how this will affect China's war-fighting capabilities, whether it is the plan to forcibly take over Taiwan or involvement in any other major regional conflict.

The 75-year-old Zhang was the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). This body of the Communist Party is led by the country's leader Xi Jinping and controls the armed forces.

The CMC, which normally has seven members, has now shrunk to just two: Xi and General Zhang Shengmin. All other members have been removed under the 'anti-corruption' campaign alongside previous waves of arrests.

The CMC is responsible for controlling millions of soldiers. This body is so powerful that when Deng Xiaoping was the supreme leader of the country in the 1980s, he held only this one post for most of the time.

According to Lyle Morris of the Asia Society Policy Institute, having only Xi and one general remaining in the CMC is an unprecedented event. He told the BBC, 'The PLA is in disarray.' According to him, China's military now shows a 'major leadership vacuum.'

When asked about the real reason for removing so many top generals, he said, 'There are many rumors circulating. We don't know what is true and what is false right now... but this is certainly bad for Xi Jinping's leadership and his control over the PLA.'

Chong Ja Ian, an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, also expressed ignorance about the real reason for Zhang's downfall but noted that many speculations are circulating on the matter.

The official announcement stated that Zhang and Liu are 'under investigation' and have been accused of 'serious violations of discipline and law,' which is coded language used for corruption.

'Things have come up ranging from leaking nuclear secrets to the US, planning a coup, and factional fighting. There were even rumors of a shootout in Beijing,' he said.

'But the downfall of Zhang and Liu, and these uncontrolled speculations, make two things clear: Xi is still above challenge (invincible), and access to information in Beijing is extremely limited, which fuels uncertainty and such speculations.'

The official announcement stated that Zhang and Liu are 'under investigation' and have been accused of 'serious violations of discipline and law,' which is coded language used for corruption.

The PLA Daily later clarified this further in an editorial, stating that the move demonstrated the Communist Party's 'zero tolerance' approach to 'punishing corruption... no matter who it is or how high their position.'

The specific charges against all these generals have not been made public and may never be. However, being under investigation almost certainly means they will face at least a prison sentence.

The PLA Daily editorial already portrayed Zhang and Liu as guilty. It mentioned that they had 'seriously betrayed the trust and expectations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party' and 'trampled upon and weakened the Central Military Commission.'

While targeting generals might be related to corruption, looking at similar past incidents, it could also be a game of political power.

When Xi Jinping came to power, China certainly had a problem with corruption, but he has also been accused of using his anti-corruption campaign and the party's formidable disciplinary inspection team to remove potential political rivals or government officials who do not appear fully loyal to him.

This has given General Secretary Xi a level of unilateral control not seen since Mao. Nevertheless, this type of leadership can also be counterproductive.

For example, an atmosphere of suspicion within the military can make decision-making cautious and even weak.

The dismissal of the most senior generals has also created fear among lower-level officials, who might now be wondering 'whose turn is next?'. Seeing the fate of those at the top, they might not want promotions to that 'dangerous zone' where Xi's anti-corruption spotlight could fall at any time.

Zhang's father was a revolutionary comrade of Xi's father. Zhang had a very old relationship with Xi, and before the recent upheaval, they were seen as close allies. This has increased the belief that 'no one is safe' and may have worsened the situation.

He was one of the handful of senior PLA officers who had combat experience, so his removal is a significant loss for the military.

According to Morris, his dismissal has also created long-term problems for Xi.

He said, 'Xi may have reasserted his authority once again, but this upheaval means continuous friction.'

'This is certainly not a good sign for Xi, and I think there will be major turbulence within the PLA between Xi and his leadership in the coming years.'

The dismissal of the most senior generals has also created fear among lower-level officials, who might now be wondering 'whose turn is next?'

Seeing the fate of those at the top, they might not want promotions to that 'dangerous zone' where Xi's anti-corruption spotlight could fall at any time.

And all this is happening at a time when Beijing is increasing pressure on Taiwan, threatening to take over the self-governing island through a full-scale invasion at some point.

Analysts will assess how much these dismissals have affected that possibility, although some believe it will not significantly impact Beijing's ambitions.

'This dismissal will not affect the PRC's ambition to control Taiwan. That depends on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a whole, and especially on Xi,' said Chong. 'Where the dismissals might have an effect is on operational decisions. Due to the absence of top military professionals or fearful officials, decisions to escalate aggression towards Taiwan will be even more centered on Xi, his priorities, and tendencies.'

BBC